Hurricane Lloyd
|category = |type = Category 5 hurricane (SSHWS)|image location = Hurricane Rick October 18, 2009 MODIS.jpg|image caption = Hurricane Lloyd at peak intensity on July 17.|formed = July 15|dissipated = July 19|accumulated cyclone energy = Not yet calculated|highest winds = 195|wind type = mph|lowest pressure = 888 mbar|damages = $74.1 billion|direct fatalities = 630|indirect fatalities = 0|missing = Unknown|areas affected = Isle Royale, Slate Islands, Ontario|hurricane season = 2017 Lake Superior hurricane season}} Hurricane Lloyd was the strongest tropical cyclone ever documented in the basin of Lake Superior, and it was also the northernmost Category 5 hurricane on record. Hurricane Lloyd caused devastation in Ontario, and it became the costliest storm on record in the basin. Meteorological history On July 13, a tropical wave formed off of Isle Royale. The wave remained stationary in a favorable environment. The GLHC began to notice the storm and designated it as Invest 90S. The invest rapidly developed overnight and became a tropical storm on July 15 and was named Lloyd. Models had taken it as a Category 4 hurricane into Marathon, Ontario. Rapid strengthening began to occur that day, with Lloyd reaching winds of 70 mph. The Great Lakes Hurricane Center predicted Lloyd to become the strongest tropical cyclone in the basin, surpassing Hurricane Kenneth. Lloyd continued to rapidly strengthen. In six hours, Lloyd jumped from a 70 mph tropical storm to a 90 mph Category 1 hurricane. Overnight, Lloyd became a high-end Category 3 hurricane. The same day, the abnormally favorable conditions allowed Lloyd to become a high-end Category 4 hurricane. The size of Lloyd allowed Lloyd to bring torrential rains for two days to Isle Royale. Most of the trees on the island were completely washed away, and the few cabins that were on Isle Royale were completely swept away. Six people died on Isle Royale. On July 16, Lloyd prompted major hurricane warnings for Ontario. The Great Lakes Hurricane Center stated that emergency advisories would be issued at 8:00 a.m. July 17 due to the very dangerous threat of catastrophic damage. The GLHC even called Lloyd an "Armageddon Hurricane". Lloyd caused the evacuation of Marathon, Ontario and other towns around it. That evening, Hurricane Lloyd became the second Category 5 hurricane of the season and surpassed Eva as the strongest storm of the season. Lloyd also became the second-strongest storm in the basin, just three millibars off from Hurricane Kenneth's record 898 millibars. On the morning of July 17, Lloyd surpassed Hurricane Kenneth as the strongest storm on record in the Lake Superior basin. Lloyd was only 75 miles off the coast of Marathon at the time. Lloyd further strengthened to a 185 mph Category 5 hurricane when emergency advisories began to be issued. Later that day, Lloyd tied Hurricane Gilbert as the third strongest storm on record in the Western Hemisphere. It began to slightly weaken, but managed to maintain its Category 5 status as it approached Terrace Bay, Ontario. On July 18, the eyewall of Lloyd slammed into Marathon, Ontario. Land interaction began to cause Lloyd to weaken. Due to high elevation interfering with the storm, Lloyd dissipated suddenly on July 18. Remnants from the storm generated into a strong extra-tropical cyclone over Hudson Bay. Preparations Lloyd caused the evacuation of Marathon, Ontario and other towns around it. The mayor of Marathon stated, "Due to the major threat of a Category 5 hurricane making landfall here in Marathon, we demand everyone in the city to evacuate." Most of the people began to evacuate on the afternoon of July 16. However, most people decided to stay behind and most said, "No such thing is going to hit. Even if something were to come, I wouldn't believe that it is even more than a sprinkle shower." This created panic among the people of Marathon that had evacuated. The city of Thunder Bay sent sandbags for the city of Marathon for the oncoming storm. The officials stated, "These people are stupid and insane if they don't think that there is a storm coming. Most people have a television, and they can just turn on the news to see it on." Impact Ontario As Lloyd began to slightly weaken, residents of Terrace Bay began to evacuate due to the movement of the storm affecting their area. According to a local radio station, Lloyd caused flood damage to homes in Terrace Bay. Damage from the eyewall was estimated to be at about $8 billion in damages. FEMA had reported that the city of Marathon was 95% destroyed, with coastline debris reaching through Terrace Bay. The city of Terrace Bay was reported to have been 65% destroyed, with some sturdy buildings still standing, indicating Category 4 hurricane winds. Slate Islands The Slate Islands were completely destroyed by Lloyd. Hundreds of trees were ripped up from the ground on the islands. Damages totaled almost $1 billion on the islands, making it the costliest hurricane on record on the Slate Islands. Records When reaching a pressure of 889 millibars on the morning of July 17, Lloyd became the strongest storm on record in Lake Superior. Lloyd also became the strongest landfalling storm on record in the basin and Northern Lake Superior, with 185 mph winds at landfall. See also *Hurricane Eva *Hurricane Fred *Hurricane Herbert *Hurricane Rita